New Balance - Fresh Foam X 880 v14

I’m currently running in either new balance fuel cell rebel v4 (6mm drop) or new balance 880 v14(8mm drop). Both are pretty wide at the toe box, though maybe not as much as say altra or the like, but plenty enough to remain comfortable through the run. I ran in brooks glycerins before the 880s and while comfy, so narrow at the toes and honestly too much cushion. I’ll say though, the 880s newest version, it’s less drop, but way more cushion, which I do not like or want. I’m not into maximalist cushion shoes at all. The fuel cells are perfect for my faster runs, whereas the 880s are the ones I like to use for high mileage runs.

I’ve run in the last several versions of 880 and I really love them. I have a couple pairs of v14 so I haven’t tried the 15 yet, but they’ve all had a fairly wide toe box even in medium widths. Interestingly, I bought a pair of 1080s this spring and i think they taper more than the 880s - I can’t wear them for more than 3-4 miles before they start to hurt my toes!

New Balance Womens Fresh Foam X 880 V14 I recently bought these in x-wide and they’re SO comfy. Don’t know if we’re allowed to link in here but was able to get them on amazon. Not the cheapest - but I just spent 9hrs walking in them at a theme park and had no pain :)

I have only ran in the 880v14, 1080v14, and 860(newest version) I’m 6’0, 257lbs, and my last 5k was 29:30. I would say the 1080 v14 is a great overall shoe, with a softer cushion than that of the 880. Depending what you like on your foot, I’d recommend to get the 1080 as your daily, I’ve even done tempo and race pace workouts and they don’t feel restrictive. But if you like a firmer feel, the 880 is the way to go, even the new version, is a bit firmer than the 1080. Be aware that they have the same name fresh foam and even fuel cell, but the formulas are very different. As a heavy runner fuel cell only works for short speed runs or max 5k distance, after that they bottom out really bad. Which is why I hope the new rebel has a bit more stack 😂 The Vongo and 860 are stability shoes and I always say get a neutral and work on strengthening muscles, it’s actually vary rare how many people actually need stability shoes.

From my summer marathon training effort. NB 880 V14 351 miles - easy day trainer NB 1080 V13 107 miles - super soft (too soft) recovery day Saucony Triumph 21 521 miles - long run shoe. Favorite shoe of the year. Apparently they changed the new versions, otherwise I'd buy again. Saucony Endorphin Pro 320 miles - previous racing shoe down graded to tempo runs. Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 86 miles - race day shoe Plus a handful of miles on the NB supercomp 1 and NB Rebel. The supercomp sole is worn thin with 470 miles. I need to throw these out, but I keep saying I can get one more run. I don't like the Rebel, too heavy for speed, not enough cushion for easy days.

I've had many pairs of 880. They are such a work horse. All of them have gone for 500+ miles, up to 700+ for some of the newer versions.

Every brand of running shoe will have a daily trainer for about $140: New Balance 880, Saucony Ride, ASICS Novablast, Brooks Ghost. They will also have a max cushion shoe for $180: NB 1080, Saucony Triumph. Do go to a running store and try a few on and get the size right. After that, buy last year's model for 30 percent off online.

What makes them feel like Nikes? I personally love the NB Rebel for my daily trainer. It's lightweight and responsive. Both are 6oz. The Kinvara has a 4mm drop while there Rebel has 6mm. The Rebel shockingly runs wide and even though I have a D width foot, I get it in regular width. (I do get a half size up though) The 880 in wide is another option. It's a little heavier at 8oz but has a 6mm drop and a little more cushion than the rebel.

Ooo this is my territory! I've tried out dozens of shoes and found that 90% of "wide" shoes aren't that wide all the way through. A wide toe box doesn't cut it. I LOVE New Balance Fresh Foam 880s and 860s in D-width (wide). They also come in E (extra wide). I cut the elastic that connects the tongue to the sole because i find it constricting. For trail, Altra Lone Peak D-width. Some people will say that all Altras are "wide-fitting": don't fall for it. If you actually have wide feet you probably need a wide (D or E width) size. I know a lot of women suggest trying men's shoes, but I have small feet so my shoe size doesn't overlap with men's.

Honestly it is impossible to answer this question for you. Everyone's feet are so wildly different. Main thing to do is to go to a proper running store that has all the good shoes of all the good brands and just try them on. You will immediately be able to rule out a lot of shoes just by the initial feel. Some stores will have a thing you can stand on to analyze the pressure on your feet and recommend shoes for you. Once you narrow it down to the ones that feel right, one of your decisions is mostly going to be how much cushion you want. And again, that's a pretty personal preference thing that won't matter that much to a beginner. In general, shoes with more cushion end up being bulkier and heavier (duh), so they're better for lower intensity long runs with lots of steps, where the cushion makes a difference. Shoes designed to run as fast as possible will often have less cushion to be lighter and not have you sink so much into each step. But even then, what is best for you depends a lot on your body's running mechanics. Anyway, as a beginner, you won't really be running super far OR super fast, so it really will mostly just be what is most comfortable to you in terms of cushion. By the time you've worn those shoes out in a year or so of running/walking 4-5 days a week, you will know enough about yourself to know what you want in a shoe. Personally, I started off with New Balance 880s because the new balance store had the foot analyzer thinger and I tried them, and they felt the best. They're also a middle of the road, everyday trainer type shoe with a medium amount of cushion, so very versatile. But after running in those for a year and getting a lot faster and running a lot farther, I started to realize what I didn't love about them. They'd rub me in a few places, they'd feel a bi too loose or too tight around the top lace sometimes, etc., and I struggled to get them to feel right when lacing up. And I wanted slightly more cushion. After about a year of running about 20Km per week, they were starting to feel flat, too. So I went to a running store with all the brands and settled on Brooks Glycerin 22s. They didn't have the issue with the uneven tightness of the upper to me. I didn't have to do a runners lock knot. They were a bit cushier. Ran in those for almost a year, then had my first half marathon coming up and figured the Brooks would be too worn out by the time that happened, so I went back to the running store to get a new pair so I'd have a fresher pair for the race. But I still tried on different shoes again. And as much as I liked the Brooks, and almost bought another pair, I tried on the Mizuno Wave Cloud 8s, which happened to be on sale, and which further showed me that there was still room for improvement. They felt just as cushy as the Brooks, but with just a BIT more firmness in the heel that felt more "right" to me than the brooks, lol. So trust me, you'll figure it out. And your feet might even change shape over years of running, so never feel bad trying different shoes.

880s felt harder to me, which lead to foot pain i liked 1080s much better

Trail shoes will hold your foot in place, but the outsole will last on tar/cement road shorter than the sole of road running shoes (asics gt series, nike downshifter, quest, adidas duramo, Supernova, etc, newbalance idk many but i have 880) Main thing - check whether your mid foot or heel lands first while running (or maybe toes like mine). Pick shoes according to that, if you're investing any serious amount. It made difference to me.